my attempt at a spray booth (knockdown type)

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66Dvert

66Dvert

Working on my custom car parts again!
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Webster , florida
here is my attempt at setting up a knockdown PCV spray booth that I can use inside or outside (hopefully)on a concrete pad. excuse the jammed up mess(happens when You have a 11x40 section of the garage under reconstruction from tree damage. large tree,thin metal, guess which one won)
so now I've got 42x40 and a second floor of the one section15x20 worth of stuff jammed into 30x40. it don't FIT! I have to find some place in the Florida area that can get me some red iron purlins and girts(sp) soon, it bent them up pretty bad.

I have in the past used just about every process (wood & drywall was the best but I needed the room again)
rented a booth (worked perfectly, but had to wait for the date and it put me behind on the build) Expensive compared to other methods

wood and plastic sheeting (worked but I used the wood for something else)

big tent (worked but didn't seal worth a darn)

cargo container (filled it up with junk as soon as I finished spraying) bout killed myself , didn't have good ventilation

and got tired of paying for wood that I eventually reuse for other things and have to go out and buy the stuff again.
I don't mind getting the plastic again just to make sure nothing comes off and falls into the paint.
I'm just setting it up now and haven't decided if it'll be all bolt together or glued in the walls and bolted to the top and end sections. I'm leaning towards gluing the sides. that way I can knock it down and slide the walls outside ,
the pluses to me are.
1 use it anytime I need to
2 and it won't cost me a fortune in replacing the wood( ain't none) because I used it or it rotted
3 it'll be able to knock down (less space used)
4 it might work outside too
5 cheaper than renting a booth multiple times and waiting to use it
6 easy to change thing so that anything I forgot to do can be fixed easily.

the minuses are
1 I have to figure out how to do it correctly and seal it using foam at junctions.
2 higher initial cost than a wood tear down
3 almost the cost of renting
4 I will replace plastic depending on usage for a reoccuring cost.


I have one side of the (4 per door) door mocked up for the exhaust it should be 8 20x25 painters filters,(I'm using house filters to size them for now and have a space that I'll have to plastic sheet in between em) but the intake hasn't been done yet. should be the same size (8 20x25's in a square pattern centered) I have a LARGE (bout 3 foot blades) exhaust fan that's belt driven that I can gear down to do a slower flow.
what do ya think so far.

View attachment DSCF2801.jpg
on the 45 angles I'm mounting 2 4ft lights each section (if i can figuer out how to mount the ones near the doors.


View attachment DSCF2802.jpg

the double pipes that you see will get a T put in between 2 4ft light in each section. should have 8 on the sides and 2 on the front.
View attachment DSCF2803.jpg
filters worked out nice by cutting a 3/4 pvc pipe down15mm, it seemed to catch the filters and hold then pretty good, but they will be taped in to hold them solid.
View attachment DSCF2804.jpg
 
Pretty ccol, there.

My brother is wanting to build one. I'll have to show him this.
 
I think that's a GREAT idea, except.......... you might need better support for the plastic sheet. You ARE going to pressurize it and not evacuate it with blower pressure? But either way, you'll be amazed at how far in/ out the plastic will balloon, and you SURE don't want it sucking inwards.

I'm guessing you'll need some sort of "more" support members for the air pressure on the plastic.

The "cheap way" might be to buy, (fer sayin') 1x4 bats, put the plastic on, and screw the bats through the plastic into the piping, then add additional horizontal bats to that??

Just thinkin' outloud.
 
67Dart273 said:
I think that's a GREAT idea, except.......... you might need better support for the plastic sheet. You ARE going to pressurize it and not evacuate it with blower pressure? But either way, you'll be amazed at how far in/ out the plastic will balloon, and you SURE don't want it sucking inwards.

I'm guessing you'll need some sort of "more" support members for the air pressure on the plastic.

The "cheap way" might be to buy, (fer sayin') 1x4 bats, put the plastic on, and screw the bats through the plastic into the piping, then add additional horizontal bats to that??

Just thinkin' outloud.
Click to expand...

Yup I know about the supports. It'll be a positive pressure unit and plastic is on the inside which made a big difference on the last one(wood) I built. this is just a basic setup right now and it looks that I'll have support every 4 ft (Lights stop/slowdown me getting closer right now) or so on the sides and even closer on the front and rear by the intake and exhaust area. I bought special 4ft plastic clamps that go over 1 1/2 inch pcv and tried it out for the top. I was able to get the top drum tight. it suprised me that I was able to pull it that tight with the clamps. the top will be setup every 4 ft with crosspieces and supported by the angles in the walls (I don't mind if the top bows up a little.)
I should have a slight positive pressure. On the last wood/plastic sheeting unit I almost had it balanced in flow in/out with 6 20/25 filters for intake and 6 matching for exhaust and was braced @ 4 ft all the way around and a slight bow on the long walls. I could clear the room in 90 seconds but you could feel the flow,which I didn't like. but I had a smaller (higher force) blower used to check houses for leaks
This unit will have an additional 2 20x25 painters filters per intake/exhaust (8 and 8 8) and tighter support, so I'm looking at even less plastic bow and a good air exchange rate due to changing the pulley's (bigger fan slower flow) to adjust flow or I could use my new speed controller. I don't really know how good this is going to be but it should be a lot better than just shooting it in the garage and getting the mess on stuff and it will be better
than the last one. plus I can knock it down roll up the plastic and put the fsides outside without worrying about it rotting till I use it again (at least 3 more times)
 
Sound to me like you have it "nailed."

I'm kinda wondering if this has a "positive" effect. I wonder if that plastic will generate static electricity, sucking up overspray?
 
67Dart273 said:
Sound to me like you have it "nailed."

I'm kinda wondering if this has a "positive" effect. I wonder if that plastic will generate static electricity, sucking up overspray?
Click to expand...

thanks
hopefully not nailed
as for positive effect, yup it sure will with me walking around and dragging the hose(I like positive flow better than negative pressure) I'm strapping grounding wire on the darn plastic and running it to the ground in the garage. I have had that problem before on the wood/plastic unit and it SUCKED the paint to the body after I turned off the fans. it won't happen again.

the only problem I had today was trying to get a straight line cut in a round 1/2 schedule 40 pipe that I'll use to hold the 4 ft lights in on the sides. I had to put 2 90's on each end and add a second pipe to hold it straight during cutting(then remove 1 section and add another to cut the same) I have 12 more to cut.
 
OneOfMany said:
What a great idea! I want to see this one in action for sure.

Grant
Click to expand...

believe me it'll get posted on here when I do use it. hopefully not as a disaster that happened:lol:

lets see too many irons in the fire.....which project gets worked on next.
1. led tails almost done (1st set for me done and working great!) SSDan seemed to like em and the numbers looked good!
2. tail light lenses with bezel mold almost done (made the female mold and have to make the male plug and fix the defects)
this one might take some time to finish RTV mold rubber is 100.00 per gallon (not in the budget yet)
3. 66 dart convertible almost done(yeah right your looking at the pic's of it now)
4. 75 Gold Wing rebuild almost done(actually I'm close 1 crank seal and carbs cleaned/rebuilt and it's done)
5. console for 66 dart not started (hey might start that) for sebring seat conversion
6. repair tree damaged section of the garage 12x40 section (hey I'm looking for the metal beams) so it's started but it should be #1 priority. no darn room!
 
I'm in the process of adding the top cross members and adding the horizontal light setup. I'll have 4 lights per side ,2 in the front , haven't figured out the rear or top yet. here's some pic's so far.
had to make up a little jig so I could put a straight cut in a round tube. you would not believe how bad it was without some stability in pushing it through the cut.
View attachment spray booth setup 001.jpg
ahh straight cut WHEW (the lights slide into the cut and I'll screw them into the pvc sides)
View attachment spray booth setup 002.jpg

got the doors mocked up and they hold the filters just fine
View attachment spray booth setup 003.jpg

pic of the light placed in the frames to check for fit. hmm I'll have to cut about 1/2 in out of the short riser between the lights to make it tighter, luckily nothings glued .
View attachment spray booth setup 004.jpg

here is a couple of views of the corners and top support braces. I'm waiting on the special 4way corners to come in that I ordered.
View attachment spray booth setup 005.jpg
here you can see the difference from the t I had to use to mock it up and the special 4 way
View attachment spray booth setup 006.jpg
heres the driver side room and the other pic is the passengers side room
View attachment spray booth setup 007.jpg
all told about a 21x13ftx8 room. it won't fit the challenger or my truck easily, but I can fix that by adding a 4ft center panel in the side when I do get around to the challenger.
View attachment spray booth setup 008.jpg
I'm getting there
 
You got enough room to open the doors so you can paint the jambs?
 
YY1 said:
You got enough room to open the doors so you can paint the jambs?
Click to expand...

Just enough to open them all the way on both sides, just remeasured it's 14ft wide not 13ft. but I'll have to squeeze around the doors. I do plan on doing the engine, trunk, under dash interior and jambs first then back mask some of it. Doors hood and trunk will be off for that.
 
Looked kinda tight in the pics.
 
YY1 said:
Looked kinda tight in the pics.
Click to expand...

yeah it is.
I'll have to add a spacer to get 2ft extra with the doors open. I have at least 3 1/2 ft front and rear.
Right now the car is a little offset for me to carry in parts to the frame but you can open both doors all the way(real tight to get around them open though) plus I have not fixed the garage yet and everything and it brother is jammed in the way stopping me from widening it right now.
4 t's and 8 couplers 'n' some pipe will fix that easy.
nothing is glued in yet so it's an easy fix when I have to do it. I had planned on making it almost 17ft wide but the junk in the garage got in the way.
I pushed the car out of the thing this morning to check and I'll be making the smaller door a bigger by the difference of the pipe I add in. it was a little difficult getting the car out. I had to constantly check to make sure I went out straight.
 
I just wired the lights in to test the setup and to see where I'll have to make the breaks at to be able to dismantle it for storage. it looks like I'll be able to use a set of long bolts right above the top lights to make the break point.
here's the test pic's of the lights on
it's like daylight in there

here;s what I started with
View attachment DSCF1382.jpg
n here's where I'm at now. dang it looks like I haven't gone far doesn't it?
ohhhh pretty (hey it is compared to what I had started with!)
View attachment DSCF2813.jpg
light are working and it's bright in there
View attachment DSCF2814.jpg


ahh light, dang another spot to fix!
View attachment DSCF2815.jpg

1 banks of 4 lights on each side 4 on the top total of 16 lights
whoooohoo I can see!
View attachment DSCF2816.jpg

it's amazing the new (oops's I have to fix) stuff that you see when you get a lot of light on the subject
View attachment DSCF2817.jpg
here's the light that will be on the car(hmm not to bad for a light source)
lousy job of sanding though.
View attachment DSCF2818.jpg

I changed the design to go at a 45 angle and not square so I could also use it as a light mounting point
View attachment DSCF2819.jpg

this is where I'll break the room apart after I'm done it's be the join after the light cross tube + that way I'll have the lights on the wall section and just tubes and a 45 angle for the top
I used just 10 (4 bottom 3way corners. 6 slip connectors for the door hinges) special connectors.

The other way I had it I used 3 types of connectors (8) 3way corners (4) 4way connectors and (6) slip connectors. , just by adding the 45 corner up top to serve as a light mount I was able to NOT use 1/2 the 3 way connectors. all the 4 way connectors for a good savings in cost and pipe. those darn things are Expensive!
man those special connectors add up!
View attachment DSCF2820.jpg
oops forgot to circle it
View attachment break point.JPG


time for a break
 
72Plymouth said:
Nice! Any issues with the lights and fumes?
Click to expand...

there shouldn't be . I'm going to cover them with the M-D building product's (hillbilly weatherproofing ) clear plastic that you cover the insides of your windows/door walls using double tack tape. stick it on and heat shrink it to stretch it tight then trim it. I'll then do the rest of the areas with 6mill poly sheet and man's best friend duck tape!
 
I'm really liking this thread. You got some good ideas.

What happens when that plastic gets all painty?
 
YY1 said:
I'm really liking this thread. You got some good ideas.

What happens when that plastic gets all painty?
Click to expand...
thanks
I just couldn't see renting the booth multiple times and just keep on paying and waiting for the booth to be open. since I'm not a pro painter I figure I'll have to use the booth a lot of times and the cost would have been wayyyyyy higher than what it cost to do this. and I have 2 others to do after I get done with this one.

So far I'm into it including screwups(oh yeah I made a few before things started to fit correctly and I figured out what/where things went to work right) about 450.00

I had some lights, plastic sheeting and electrical stuff and a few sticks of 1 1/2 pvc laying around so the cost stayed down. if you had to get it all I'd say about 600.00 to do it all. I probably didn't need all those lights and it would have lighted up with 1/2 the lights

if your only going to do 1 car and be done with it I'd just rent the booth.
 
YY1 said:
I'm really liking this thread. You got some good ideas.

What happens when that plastic gets all painty?
Click to expand...

actually there will be 2 layers of plastic. (if you mean the plastic on the lights, I'll just replace it) but the plastic on the booth itself will be 2 different layers.
1. first layer regular 6 mill poly to seal the booth up.
2. the second will be painters plastic. that say's paint this side or this side out (or something like that) that I'll take down when it get's bad and just re tape new on.

I did that with the old wood booth that I had before I moved down here and it worked great. the plastic's kinda spendy but it beats renting the booth again and again. I figure I'll have to run a grounding wire to the frame since I know pvc and plastic generates a lot of static. and I'll wipe the frame down with those clothes drier fabric sheets (the ones that get rid of static cling. (hey don't laugh it works!!)) I used to wipe the plastic sheets down with it on the old booth and nothing stuck to it unless I pointed the spray gun right at the wall AND since I didn't spray anything on the walls it didn't contaminate the paint never had a fish eye, dirt,bugs, finger prints, sweat drops, yeah but no fish eyes.:D
 
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